What pickup would you pay over $120 each or MORE for?

[Luke Duke]

Rid, Lew, and Alec really drive the point home.

Most guitarists are spoiled to ultra low prices on everything due to availabilty and imports. However if we played (as Rid said) a Piano, Organ, or other stringed instrument we would be thrilled to get a decent (insert part here) for 120 bucks. To simply have a slant piano tuned is around 70 bucks! And if you have an actual internal problem with a piano not only do you have to buy the parts, but you have to pay someone to COME OUT and fix it.

Dumping 200 bucks in a 500 dollar guitar is a really big deal, you're investing another 40% of what you paid into the guitar. Whereas if you spend 120 bucks getting the perfect pickup for a 2000 dollar guitar it isn't a big proportionally. I'm the world's worst I've been avoiding and magnet swapping and doing everything possible to avoid getting a new bridge pup for my PRS, but I'm going to have to probably get a CS pup for it because nothing else in the regular line is what I'm looking for, it's either too hot, not hot enough, or has the wrong EQ.

Luke

[jdm61]

Ummmmm.......Errrrrrrrr.............Ahhhhhh....... ....Antiquities going in the Strat , Fender custom Shop jobbies from the Strat going into my 12 yr old's Mexy-Strat and I just dropped $300+ for a WCR Fillmore set with the nickel silver covers..........but then again, most of you have figured out by now that i am a bit impulsive Gotta find a spot for the Anniversary Seths now........hmmmm.........time to buy that Moderne, maybe?....lmao

[sgstrat]

As far as Duncans go, the Antiquity humbuckers are certainly worth $120

Mine have been worth every penny I spent on them (and more).

[jpage]

I don't think $120 is too much for a pickup--Fralins and Antiquities jump to mind as two good examples at that price range. I own Fralin singles and Antiquity buckers and they are fine examples of quality workmanship. I've played many more expensive pickups than these and I guarantee that although you can spend more, you won't be able to tell the difference. Not possible. As long as the output levels are approximately the same, there is no improvement other than a perceived one.

As for the "if you played piano, oboe, flute..." argument; what the heck does that mean? I don't so I could give a flying hoot what they spend on equipment and any guitar player that justifies spending money with that load of crap is reeeaaaally stretching.

[Luke Duke]

As for the "if you played piano, oboe, flute..." argument; what the heck does that mean? I don't so I could give a flying hoot what they spend on equipment and any guitar player that justifies spending money with that load of crap is reeeaaaally stretching.

All that arguement means is that most guitarist are spoiled due to the availability of parts for their instruments. Parts for other instruments are MUCH more expensive due to availability, but guitar player moan and complain the loudest about prices and usually pay the least.

In the end it's all about what is getting 'that much closer to the tone in your head" worth to you.

Luke

[jpage]

Guitar players moan the loudest because they believe the hardest that more expensive gear will make them sound better. Most piano players spend a whole lot less time shopping for that "magic dust" ingredient and a whole lot more time practicing their chops. That's the difference.

[Voxman]

...all i know is,I would`t pay 12000$ for those PAF`s on ebay

[Kac]

I would shell out some money for the pickups used by Bruce Kulick on my favorite albums.... Like the pups he used on Asylum, even if it was just for one song in the studio....

~Kac~

[JumpMarine]

After experiencing my two Custom shop PAF's, I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them again. I can say the same thing about WCR's, truly amazing pups and worth every penny.

[jpage]

I would shell out some money for the pickups used by Bruce Kulick on my favorite albums.... Like the pups he used on Asylum, even if it was just for one song in the studio....

~Kac~

Your money would be better spent buying the amp he used. And the speakers the amp was being pumped through. Or better yet the mic used to record them.

Bottom line (and this comes after comparing multiple different pickups out of the same guitars and recording them with the exact same settings) is that pick attack, string age, guitar wood and guitar construction have much more to do with tone shaping than pickups do.

I can do more to alter tone by moving a mic 1/2 of an inch than any pickup will ever accomplish. Are there pickups worth $120 apiece? I believe there are. More than that? Not until those $120 pickups go up in price.